With rugby currently at the forefront of the sporting calendar as the Six Nations grips us all, insight shared by a man to have reached the top of that sport seems particularly poignant at the moment. 

Indeed, during Sir Clive Woodward's discussion with The High Performance Podcast, the former England coach delivered a masterclass in management and how to raise the level of a team, as well as the individuals within it. 

To hear a man who has lifted the World Cup talk so openly about how he was able to get every last drop out of his team on both a collective, as well as a personal basis, is simply fascinating. 

During the wide-ranging discussion involving rugby, football and even business, lessons can certainly be learned from a coach to have written himself into English sporting history. 

So, what were the key takeaways GIVEMESPORT took from Woodward's interview? Here are the THREE biggest standouts. 

Managing Masterclass 

Right off the bat, Sir Clive shared a tantalising tidbit of how he viewed dynamics should work within a group. While he did speak about the importance of teamwork, he also noted how important it was to have everyone under its umbrella working at their optimum level. 

"I'll never underscore the importance of teamwork and working together as a team of people. 

"But I think there's a secret to teamwork.

"If you get every individual working at his or her optimum level and becoming wold class, the team suddenly becomes a lot easier to do."

That balance is particularly interesting and, obviously requires a lot of hard work. Still, it's indicative of just how multi-faceted the idea of high performance is and how the key core values - on an overall and individual basis - intertwine. 

Understanding your role 

This is a topic close to many of our hearts. 

As a manager or any kind of authoritative figure, it may be tempting to want to act as the omnipotent voice, the person in control of the direction your team will take. 

However, listening to Woodward talking about how he identified his role as a 'listener', using the strengths within his team while sprinkling his own expertise on top, was absolutely gripping. 

"I pride myself on being a good listener. 

"I always pride myself at - not being good at new ideas - but, when I hear a good idea, what I think I'm quite good at is making that happen."

The universal importance of passion

Considering this is a man to have occupied high positions in the business, rugby and football worlds, Sir Clive seems well-placed to decipher exactly what it is that makes success possible, no matter what path you're exploring. 

"The number one thing is passion. 

"If you're passionate about sport, or you're passionate about business, you'll be successful.

"You can't just put someone in and say, 'Here you go' it's not their absolute lifeblood."

Indeed, regardless of what it is we want to achieve, having the desire to go above and beyond was key in his celebrated playbook. 

For more incredibly insightful interviews with elite sportsmen, women and entrepreneurs, make sure you subscribe to the High Performance Podcast on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-high-performance-podcast/id1500444735